Blue Sky Studios, the creators of the movie Ice Age, have released their newest feature animated film, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!, which opens in theaters today.

The movie is based on Dr. Seuss’ very short children’s storybook, which is impressive since the movie is 1 hour and 28 minutes long. A recent Washington Post review described the movie as: “A computer-animated feature that strikes an amiable balance between honoring the text and the dictates of contemporary animation, the film is as good as one could hope for in this era of post-literate impatience.”

Through a bit of magic (and no, not Disney magic…but rather, Blue Sky magic), Horton’s screenwriters, creative directors, and members of the production, art & technical teams created a tremendous amount of new material to develop it into a full feature film.

The movie, Horton Hears a Who!, features the famous voices of comedic actors Jim Carrey (Horton), Steve Carell (Mayor), and Carol Burnett (Kangaroo).

The movie has received rave reviews by movie critics, so go check it out and see for yourself whether it’s as good as it’s cracked up to be!

We welcome your comments!

Flickr Photo Credits: Horton Movie Poster by divxplanet and Steve Carell/Mayor by MyCine

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Admittedly, Sex And The City is a huge guilty (or not-so-guilty) pleasure…I think almost all women can agree. The much anticipated movie (based on the HBO hit series) starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, won’t be in theaters until May 30, 2008…but we do have a little sneak peek!

A couple of months ago, a 41 second theatrical trailer was released, wetting our appetites. But the 2 minute 30 second “movie spoiler” recently came out and it utterly tickled me with delight. It was a refreshing change from watching all the old re-runs from the DVD set. The girls are back in New York City with their outrageous fashion, extravagant lifestyles, cheeky romances, fine dining, and fabulous drama!

*Warning: This is called a “spoiler,” so if you don’t want to ruin any surprises, you may not want to view the clip…but man, the temptation is so hard to resist!

Sit back, relax…and enjoy!

You can also learn more details about the Sex and The City movie at the official website

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The nominations for the 80th Academy Awards were finally announced last week, by Academy President Sid Ganis and Oscar winner Kathy Bates. Of course, we’ll expect to see the traditional glitz and glamour of A-list celebrities decked out in their stunning haute couture - sauntering along the red carpet and posing deliberately for the obsessive paparazzi. Without a doubt, The Kodak Theater at Hollywood and Highland in Los Angeles, California will be the prime scene on Oscar night, February 24, 2008.

Unfortunately, not all of us can obtain a coveted seat to the awards show, but if you’re a fan…there are plenty of other ways to take part of the cinematic excitement:

Join Oscar Talk with Jan Wahl, the celebrated movie critic and film historian, who will dish the dirt about the upcoming Academy Awards on Saturday evening, February 2nd at Landmark Vineyards. Win prizes for playing movie trivia…and partake in a lively discussion about whether George Clooney or Daniel Day-Lewis should take home the golden statuette!

See for yourself the Oscar Nominated Short Films Program on February 21st which will contain many of the narrative live-action and animated shorts that are in the running for the 2008 Academy Awards. This is one special category that we don’t often get to see much of!

On February 23rd, the night before the Oscars, walk the red carpet to Oscar-winning music including favorites from Lord of the Rings, Titanic and The Sound of Music with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic’s: “Off To the Oscar’s” performance.

For those who like extravagant galas and like to be treated like a star, attend a gala event on the official Oscar night: February 24th! There’s the “Oscar Night America - Raleigh” event at Theater in the Park in North Carolina or “Oscar Night America - Buffalo” - both officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Hard Rock Cafe in Boston will be hosting The Ellie Fund charity gala for breast cancer with proceeds benefitting the innovative Care for the Caregiver program.

Take note that there are only 26 days left until the live telecast hosted by Jon Stewart! Be sure to stay tuned to see which of the lucky contenders will get to take home Mr. Oscar! Can we say cha-ching?!!?

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Super Bowl XLII is just around the corner in Glendale, Arizona, just west of Phoenix in the new home of the Phoenix Cardinals, University of Phoenix Stadium. The new digs are a replacement to the Cardinal’s long time home at ASU Stadium in Tempe and the 88 luxury suites and 25 acres of surrounding retail and entertainment make for the ideal destination for this year’s big game.

We all, perhaps, think of the Super Bowl not for the game itself but the commercials, half time show, and guacamole (it has been said that American’s eat more guac on Super Bowl Sunday than the rest of the year combined) but we at Zvents noticed that it isn’t about Sunday as much as as the amazing list of things to do in Phoenix leading up to February 3rd.

Catch Chris Rock, February 2nd, at The Best Damn Super Bowl Party Period as he performs at their after party live at Ultra Lounge at Prive Super House. If you are lucky enough to score tickets, go for the entire event which starts Thursday with Jenny McCarthy, Ludacris and Holly Robinson Peete of the Hollyrod Foundation who is in town for fashion show fund raiser, “Gridiron Glamour.”

If fashion is your thing (wait… this is a football game isn’t it?), players wives come together to host the Off the Field Fashion Show, a benefit for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital on February 1 from 10am - 2pm. The event gives attendees an opportunity to visit the new SouthBridge real estate and retail development in Scottsdale, said to rival Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive.

Rather party with the celebs? Just opened Taste Ultra Lounge is hosting Friday Night Lights on February 1st with Hugh Hefner, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, and Jamie Foxx making an appearance. The “Tao inspired nightclub” has been one of the hottest places to be in Arizona since its opening in October, 2007.

On January 31st, P. Diddy (or is it just Diddy now?) is hosting a block party outside mega club Axis/Radius in Scottsdale. This two-story dance club has been a Scottsdale epicenter for over a decade and continues to throw the best party in town. You might as well bring a sleeping bag (or Red Bull) to stay first in line for Snoop Dogg on Friday night, Kid Rock and Bud Bowl on Saturday, and (ahem) Girls Gone Wild after the Super Bowl.

If you get past the crowd and inside Axis/Radius on Thursday, you’ll find Nick Lachey hosting the Super Skins Kick Off Party while P. Diddy performs under the stars. We encourage you to find a moment of peace from all this hype and sign up with Nick for the Superskins Celebrity Golf Classic. Multi-platinum recording artist Nick Lachey and two-time reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson have partnered with Prime Cuts Productions to form the Super Skins Celebrity Golf Classic prior to Super Bowl XLII. Proceeds from the event, a special Super Skins Online Auction and Super Skins Party, will benefit multiple charities including “The Nick Lachey Foundation” and ” The Jimmie Johnson Foundation.”

Believe it or not, we’ve just scratched the surface and we’re out of breath. Take advantage of Navteq’s Map Network Super Bowl XLII Event Guide which covers just about everything going on in Phoenix related to the game; otherwise, search Zvents for much more in town or stay tuned and we’ll share other opportunities to party in desert.

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Two fiction bestsellers have made their way to the big screen. Atonement and The Kite Runner are currently featured in movie theaters and have arguably remained true to the books. Interestingly, both movies share the same deep sense of emotion (even though they differ significantly in plot) with underlying themes of childhood betrayal and redemption as an adult. A.O. Scott’s New York Times review captures the crux of both movies accurately with this description: “fundamentally about guilt and the attempt to overcome it, and about the tricky, tragically imperfect power of art to compensate for real-life crimes and misdemeanors.”

Atonement, based on the novel by Ian McEwan, is a British romance about how a 13-year-old, irreversibly changes the course of many people’s lives when she accuses her older sister’s lover of a crime he did not commit. Following this act, the girl continues to seek forgiveness for her childhood wrongdoing over several dramatic decades, eventually leading to personal transformation.

The Kite Runner, based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini, tells the story of an Afghan refugee who witnesses a horrible incident as a child, betrays his friend, and walks away. Throughout his life, he’s plagued with regret, which leads to his “epic quest for redemption.”

Of course, the challenge has always been whether or not the films can live up to their original sources. You be the judge…do they? We certainly welcome your comments!

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